Ale-Jet Grounded

Readers of Cycopaths are no doubt wondering about the recent slackness of posting. The truth is, we're overwhelmed by the flow of cycling doping news streaming in from Europe. Among the latest shocking (?) news is that Alessandro "Ale-Jet" Petacchi is under investigation for doping, and thereby suspended by his team (they're just following orders, you know). Worse still for Ale-Jet is that he has been formally accused of doping by his home country and consequently is out of this year's Tour de France.

Truth be told, the only truly surprising news these days in the world of cycling is when someone is declared to not be a doper by someone other than the cyclist himself. Do I believe that Petacchi is a doper? Well, yes, if taking a few too many pulls on an inhaler qualifies as doping. I guess I should be careful with those double-shots of Flonase before my next brevet.

Doping is a huge problem in cyling, no doubt. Unfortunately, though, rather than do things The Right Way(TM), doper-catchers seem to in competition with the dopers themselves to see who can destroy our beloved sport first. If it's not Dick Pounder, it's French LNDD, or in this case, the Italian Olympic Committee. Why can't they focus on real dopers?